Police injured as manhunt for robber continues

A POLICE officer has a dislocated shoulder and another a leg injury as the hunt continues for an offender who evaded police and ran into Tweed City, causing a lockdown by security.

According to a statement from NSW Police, three teenagers have been arrested while a fourth is still on the run after a pursuit from Queensland stopped in Tweed Heads South on Monday afternoon.

Shortly before 4pm, NSW Police were advised by Queensland POLAIR that a stolen vehicle they were monitoring was approaching the border at Numinbah.

Officers were able to deploy spike strips at Stotts Creek, which punctured the Skoda's two passenger side tyres.

The stolen Skoda which allegedly hit a Nissan Patrol near Tweed City before four offenders fled on foot.Scott Powick

The vehicle continued and officers initiated a pursuit.

At Tweed Heads South, the car stopped on Minjungbal Drive after hitting a Nissan Patrol and four males fled on foot.

Officers established a perimeter at Tweed City Shopping Centre and three teens, two aged 15 and a 16-year-old, were arrested with the assistance of the Police Dog Unit.

Despite a search of the shopping centre and surrounds, police were unable to locate the fourth male.

The dog squad was brought into Tweed City in an attempt to hunt down the remaining offender.Scott Powick

The trio were taken to Tweed Heads Police Station and remain in custody.

Two officers were injured during a foot pursuit and taken to hospital for treatment.

It is understood roads have been blocked off as police search for a weapon possibly thrown out of the car window by the offenders.

Inquiries continue.

UPDATE 6PM:

WITNESSES have told of dramatic scenes at Tweed City Shopping Centre, with one resident describing how he helped to tackle an offender to the ground before police arrived hot on his heels.

Craig Elliot, a former police officer who is now running as the Labor candidate for the Tweed, was at Tweed City with his wife, Richmond MP Justine Elliot, when they heard sirens and saw four men running towards them.

"Justine and I were here at Tweed City and heard a lot of sirens and looked down from our vantage point up here on the upper carpark and saw this vehicle career through the intersection and collide with this four-wheel drive," Mr Elliot said.

"There were lots of sirens, lots of police cars and then we saw four males run through the Surf Toyota car park towards Tweed City with police in hot pursuit.

"Police were calling for them to stop and for assistance, and so with the assistance of Justine we detained him and moments later police arrived.

"I am a former police officer, I suppose that training kicks in. I am fine. Our police do good work everyday and the last thing they need is people out there not doing the right thing by our community."

Mr Elliot said he was disgusted at the "wanton disregard" at how the four offenders put the lives of others at risk.

"These people put the whole community in danger," he said.

"They just abandoned their vehicle in the afternoon traffic and just ran away with wanton disregard."

Former police officer and State Labor candidate for Tweed Craig Elliot tackled one of the offenders with the help of his wife, Federal Richmond MP Justine Elliot.Scott Powick

Meanwhile, Bilambil resident Dion Andrews was inside the shopping centre when it was locked down by police.

"Inside the centre, people were running and screaming," Mr Andrews said.

"We were in JB HiFi and they shut all the doors and locked everyone in for our safety. We were in there for about 15 minutes before they let us out. The staff were really good. There are still people shut up in other shops though but we just got let out."

Mr Andrews said there were about 15 to 20 shoppers, plus staff, locked up inside the store with him.

"There were a few panicked faces, especially the mothers with kids who didn't know what was going on, but we were fine," he said.

"We have no idea how many people police are looking for or what they did."

Police have since arrested three offenders and are searching for a fourth. It is believed two of the offenders may have been injured and have been taken to Tweed Hospital for treatment.

It is believed the offenders may be a group of teenagers believed to have been involved in a series of robberies and stabbing offences on the Gold Coast over the last 24 hours.

Police have shut down the streets around Tweed City while they search for a missing offender.Dion Andrews

EARLIER:

POLICE have placed Tweed City in lockdown, with shoppers stuck inside stores, as they search for a man following a lengthy pursuit through the Tweed.

Tweed Byron Police District Superintendent Wayne Starling said three offenders had been taken into custody, with police searching for a fourth man with the aid of the police dog squad.

Supt Starling said roads around the centre had been shut off, after the four men abandoned their vehicle on Minjungbal Drive, at the front of the shopping centre around 4pm today.

Three men have since been taken into custody with a fourth still on the loose.

Supt Starling said the men were wanted in connection with robbery offences both in the Tweed and over the border.

He said police had been pursuing the men in their vehicle from the Gold Coast, down to Murwillumbah and then back to Tweed Heads.